MONTREAL – Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced Monday the signing of forward Max Pacioretty to a six-year contract extension (2013-14 to 2018-19). As per club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Pacioretty, 23, completed his fourth season in the NHL in 2011-12, leading the team in scoring with a personal career-high of 65 points. He ranked second on the team in goals (33) and third in assists (32). He finished fourth in the NHL in even strength goals (29). In 79 games last season Pacioretty scored five winning goals and totaled 286 shots on goal (tied for 10th in the NHL). The forward served 56 penalty minutes, maintained a +2 plus/minus differential and recorded 104 hits, while playing an average of 18:15 per game.

Pacioretty was the 2011-12 recipient of the Bill Masterton Trophy in the NHL, a true example of perseverance, determination and dedication to the game. He returned to action in 2011-12 after missing the team’s last 15 regular season games and the playoffs in 2010-11, with a fractured neck and a concussion suffered on March 8, 2011 against Boston. Pacioretty launched the Max Pacioretty Foundation, to help the Montreal General Hospital Foundation raise the funds needed towards acquiring a Functional MRI machine (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) for the Traumatic Brain Injury Centre at the MGH/MUHC.

Since 2008-09, Pacioretty has registered 114 points (53 goals, 61 assists) in 202 NHL regular-season games. The 6’2’’, 210 lbs left winger has recorded 142 penalty minutes. Pacioretty has scored 12 of his goals on the powerplay and added seven game winning goals.

A native of New Canaan, Connecticut, Pacioretty was drafted in the first-round, 22nd overall by the Canadiens at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. On March 8, 2012, he became the first American-born player in team history to reach the 30-goal plateau in one season, scoring in an empty net against the Oilers in Edmonton.